Malva plant named ‘Blue Fountain’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Malva  plant named ‘Blue Fountain’, characterized by its tall and upright plant habit; large leaves; violet and dark violet bi-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Malva sylvestris.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Blue Fountain’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Malva, botanically known as Malva sylvestris, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Blue Fountain’.

The new Malva is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed selection of Malva sylvestris, not patented. The new Malva was discovered and selected by the Inventor within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands during the summer of 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Malva by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Boskoop The Netherlands since 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Malva are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Blue Fountain has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Blue Fountain’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Blue Fountain’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Malva:

-   -   1. Tall and upright plant habit.     -   2. Large leaves.     -   3. Violet and dark violet bi-colored flowers.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Malva differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Malva are shorter than plants of the parent         selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Malva have larger leaves than plants of the         parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Malva are shorter than plants of the parent         selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Malva and the parent selection differ in         flower color as plants of the parent selection have         violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Malva can be compared to plants of the Malva cultivar Zebrina, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in The Netherlands, plants of the new Malva differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Zebrina in flower color. In addition, plants of the new Malva were taller than plants of the cultivar Zebrina.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Malva, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Malva.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Blue Fountain’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Blue Fountain’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Blue Fountain’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Boskoop, The Netherlands in an outdoor nursery during the summer and autumn. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 19° C. Plants were about one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Malva sylvestris cultivar Blue Fountain. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed     selection of Malva sylvestris, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at temperatures of             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About six weeks at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; creamy white in color,             close to 159D.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright and columnar plant habit.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous growth             habit. Basal branching habit with about three lateral             branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 38 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 25 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 21 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 3.8 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Strength: Strong. Color: 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 5.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 7.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly orbicular; palmately lobed.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Hastate.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed; lobes serrate.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 137C. Fully developed, upper             surface: 137C; venation, 143A. Fully developed, lower             surface: 138B; venation, 144C to 144D.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 7.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 143A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Single rotate flowers arising from             apical leaf axils. Flowers face upright or slightly outward.             Flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 36             flowers per plant will develop during the growing season.         -   Flowering season.—In The Netherlands, flowering is             continuous from late June to early October.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the plant.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.9 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Roughly spherical. Color: 137D to 138A; towards the             apex, N92A to N92C.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five in a single whorl. Length:             About 2.1 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Obcordate. Apex:             Emarginate to retuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to N88C to N88D; towards the base and venation, 83A to 83B.             Color becoming closer to N92C with development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to N88D; towards the             base and venation, 83A to 83B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape:             Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Broad cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Densely pubescent. Color: When opening, upper and             lower surfaces: 143B. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: 143B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: About 30° from vertical. Texture:             Smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 143A to 143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About 25. Filament length: About 6 mm. Filament color: 79D.             Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong.             Anther color: 164B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             157A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape: Terete. Stigma color: 85A             to 85B. Style length: About 8 mm. Style color: 79D. Ovary             color: 144B.         -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Malva have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Malva. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Malva have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Malva plant named ‘Blue Fountain’ as illustrated and described. 